Stadium seats made from palm tree waste proposed for Qatar World Cup innovation challenge
A team of engineers in Saudi Arabia has proposed how stadium seats in the near future could be made more sustainably using the fibres of palm trees.
A five-member group from Al Faisal University submitted the plan as part of a regional innovation competition established by the Qatar’s Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy, which is overseeing the 2022 FIFA World Cup in the country.
The team’s method involves using the waste of date palm trees mixed with recycled polymers such as PVC to produce the seats.
The project has been designed with sustainability in mind, as palm tree waste and polymers are reused, and the seat itself can be recycled to manufacture other products when required.
The engineers have fabricated test samples of the material to determine the feasibility of using it in the production process.
“Palm trees have always been part of the Arabian culture and the Arab world is home to 70 per cent of the world’s 120 million palm trees,” said team leader Nourah Alrubaiq. “The palm tree waste in Saudi Arabia is 75,000 tons annually, and that presented a huge opportunity for us to develop a sustainable solution to make the best of the discarded biomass instead of disposing it.”
She added that early studies found that just 1-3 per cent of the annual tree waste could be used to produce 40,000 to 60,000 seats. She argued that as as one ton of the waste ranges between US$100–150 in price, the cost of seat production would be considerably less than it is using more traditional materials.
The team – which also includes Suhailah Alkhawaske, Nada Haboudal, Arwa Alanqary and Noreen Mandora – are the university’s first female engineering graduates.
The have reached the semi-final stage of the competition, called Challenge 22, which is seeking innovative concepts capable of being transformed into a viable products for the World Cup. They are now fine-tuning their proposal before pitching it to judges for the competition final in Doha on May 22.
“In the short term we want to secure the support for patent registration, and in the long run implement the idea and finally conclude the feasibility of its use in projects for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar and other regional projects,” said Alrubaiq.
Qatar Doha World Cup football FIFA innovation engineering design recycling sustainability Challenge 22 Saudi ArabiaQatar reveals US$500m per week spending for 2022 World Cup infrastructure
Qatar World Cup stadium reaches construction milestone
Work set to start on Qatar's diamond-shaped World Cup stadium
Coconuts can inspire us to make stronger buildings, say scientists
Construction moves forward on Ramboll and Pattern's Qatar 2022 World Cup venue
Europe's premier Evian Spa unveiled at Hôtel Royal in France
Clinique La Prairie unveils health resort in China after two-year project
GoCo Health Innovation City in Sweden plans to lead the world in delivering wellness and new science
Four Seasons announces luxury wellness resort and residences at Amaala
Aman sister brand Janu debuts in Tokyo with four-floor urban wellness retreat
€38m geothermal spa and leisure centre to revitalise Croatian city of Bjelovar
Two Santani eco-friendly wellness resorts coming to Oman, partnered with Omran Group
Kerzner shows confidence in its Siro wellness hotel concept, revealing plans to open 100
Ritz-Carlton, Portland unveils skyline spa inspired by unfolding petals of a rose
Rogers Stirk Harbour & Partners are just one of the names behind The Emory hotel London and Surrenne private members club
Peninsula Hot Springs unveils AUS$11.7m sister site in Australian outback
IWBI creates WELL for residential programme to inspire healthy living environments
Conrad Orlando unveils water-inspired spa oasis amid billion-dollar Evermore Resort complex
Studio A+ realises striking urban hot springs retreat in China's Shanxi Province
Populous reveals plans for major e-sports arena in Saudi Arabia
Wake The Tiger launches new 1,000sq m expansion
Othership CEO envisions its urban bathhouses in every city in North America
Merlin teams up with Hasbro and Lego to create Peppa Pig experiences
SHA Wellness unveils highly-anticipated Mexico outpost
One&Only One Za’abeel opens in Dubai featuring striking design by Nikken Sekkei
Luxury spa hotel, Calcot Manor, creates new Grain Store health club
'World's largest' indoor ski centre by 10 Design slated to open in 2025
Murrayshall Country Estate awarded planning permission for multi-million-pound spa and leisure centre
Aman's Janu hotel by Pelli Clarke & Partners will have 4,000sq m of wellness space
Therme Group confirms Incheon Golden Harbor location for South Korean wellbeing resort
Universal Studios eyes the UK for first European resort
King of Bhutan unveils masterplan for Mindfulness City, designed by BIG, Arup and Cistri
Rural locations are the next frontier for expansion for the health club sector
Tonik Associates designs new suburban model for high-end Third Space health and wellness club
Aman sister brand Janu launching in Tokyo in 2024 with design by Denniston's Jean-Michel Gathy
Creating the 9/11 Memorial Museum in New York involved meticulous planning. Its director Alice Greenwald tells us more
Early-onset MS inspired Adria Lake to explore resilience as both a healing modality and an approach to design in the creation of her new home and company headquarters in Colorado